From Cardboard Prototypes to Triple the Game Output

In 2017, my wife and I started a company making table games. Since then, the two of us have created over a dozen games that bring friends and family together to talk, laugh, and connect. 

From the start, e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Shopify have allowed us to reach millions of customers worldwide. Now, AI-powered tools are helping us reach those customers with better products, faster, and at far less cost — boosting our bottom line and empowering us to compete with huge global companies. 

Here’s an example. Every time we make a new game, we have to test it. For years, that meant printing the game on paper, cutting out all the cards, organizing test-play sessions at our office and around the country, inputting changes, then doing it all over again — usually several times. It was a time-consuming, painstaking process. 

A few months ago, I asked Google’s AI tool, Gemini, for help. I don’t know the first thing about coding or creating apps. I gave Gemini one of our prototype games and said, “Hey Gemini, make a working app that simulates me playing my new card game with friends.” Gemini did it — and now I have an app that allows me to fully test our products almost 70% faster than I used to. I’ve also used Gemini to help create marketing materials, which has cut our product-rollout time by more than 50%. Thanks to AI, we’ve tripled our annual game output.

AI-powered tools also help us generate creative ideas. In the past, if I wanted inspiration for illustrations, I’d pay a team of graphic designers thousands of dollars to come up with ideas, most of which I’d never use. Now AI can instantly generate 20 different creative ideas for a new design, and it’s free. For a small business with a limited budget, that’s incredibly empowering.

Here’s a final example. We’re constantly dealing with copyright infringement issues. But talking to a lawyer about those issues costs hundreds of dollars an hour. Now I can ask AI to give me a rundown on my possible options. AI certainly doesn’t replace my lawyer; it just allows me to have a more informed — and shorter — conversation with him. That’s saved me scores of hours and thousands of dollars in legal fees, freeing up time and money I can reinvest in my business. 

I know that AI comes with its share of risks. Those risks need policymakers’ serious attention. At the same time, AI is empowering small businesses in a way that, until now, only money could. I see AI as a democratizing force in business. When I sell my products on a platform like Amazon, I’m competing against everyone — including global giants like Hasbro and Mattel. Now, finally, when I step onto the platform, I have the tools I need to compete.